Search results

Retailers face a multitude of strategic choices, with varying levels of risk, profitability and societal impact. Sifting through these options is a daunting task. In the literature, strategies have been successfully categorized using grids and matrices. Reviews first the strategy matrix approach, especially as applied to retailing; then introduces a topology of strategic choice in retailing which provides a way to assist retailers to think and manage strategically. The topology configures strategies into four directions: internal, horizontal, vertical and migrational. Internal strategies reside at the intraorganizational level and encompass various differentiation and time strategies. Horizontal strategies are expansionary and include choices on outlet numbers, internationalization, mergers and joint ventures. Vertical strategies turn the firm towards its suppliers and include supplier acquisition and improved buyer‐supplier relations. Migrational strategies are extraterritorial and involve radical changes of direction such as changes in outlet size category, location type and outlet type. Recognizing the synergistic interactions within and between the strategic directions is an important aspect of the analysis.

Investigates the relationship between competitive strategies and business performance in the retailing industry and provides an empirical investigation of strategic approaches to competitive success adopted by various groups of retailers. In the past, examinations of this relationship have focused on samples from the industrial sector and have not investigated samples in the retail sector. Findings indicate that, both in terms of financial performance and operating performance, the group of retailers employing a combination of low‐cost/ differentiation strategy to attain competitive advantage outperform those using a singular strategic approach.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Chinese food retailers' positioning strategies. Specifically, retail segments and critical factors related to the nature of the food supplier relationships that may be influenced by the positioning strategies are investigated.

The retail markets in Guangzou and Chengdu are investigated. Data are collected by means of observation and survey and then combined in the analyses. Observational research (i.e. expert assessments) is conducted in 152 retail outlets in order to assess their positioning strategies. The purchasing managers in the same retail outlets are personally interviewed by means of structured questionnaires.

A three‐cluster solution for the positioning strategies is revealed: down‐market stores, middle‐range stores, and up‐market stores. The annual sales and the number of self‐service counters are highest among up‐market retailers. They are also typically joint ventures, supermarkets and department stores, and members of a retail chain. A broad range of brands and products and also marketing support from the suppliers are most important for the up‐market stores.

The study is limited to two regional retail markets and should therefore be cross‐validated with other retail sectors and markets. Thumbnail sketches of the retailer segments enable food suppliers to make better and more informed decisions about how to position their product offer and marketing mix.

Although positioning strategies are at the core of modern marketing, relatively little research has been conducted addressing how retailers in general and Chinese retailers specifically include their retail buying behaviour and structural characteristics in the positioning strategy. This study contributes to filling this gap in knowledge.

The issue of retailing in rural areas has received relatively little attention in recent years. This article considers retail businesses in a remote, rural area, the Uist chain in the Western Isles of Scotland. Drawing on the marketing and retail strategy literatures, a “funnical” model of rural retail strategies is developed, and examples of independent retail businesses that have adopted both market‐led and product‐led strategies are posited. These have ranged from a situation of “strategic stasis” within some retail organisations, where more “extensive” methods of running retail outlets have been adopted, through to various new development strategies. Overall, it is evident that retailers may mix strategic directions for their business within the specific geographic context that they are located. This appears to contrast with Jussila et.al. (1992: 192), who imply that their strategic alternatives are mutually exclusive and that the individual strategies are “spatially bound”. In the light of these findings, the article considers the implications presented for retailers in other rural areas of the UK.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an approach at defining a retail channel strategy applied to young consumers.

The authors use a qualitative study that adopts the consumer perspective and employed an investiga-tive channel-scan approach based on two scenarios applied to 12 retailers selling childrenswear. The authors studied 139 flows between all the channels and explored the retailers’ child orientation.

The paper revealed that the channel configuration and integration of retailers showed a di-versity of approach leading us to distinguish eight different retail channel strategies. It also appears that there is limited evidence of a specific selling channels designed for children by retailers in selling products aimed at the child market.

This study contributes to the retail marking literature by showing evidence of child orienta-tion in channel management. Nevertheless, the results show the need for future research to understand the causes and effects of channel child orientation and the way it contributes to the retail channel strategy.

The findings have practical implications for retailers by providing a framework to help them in their decision-making regarding retail channel strategy. It also sheds new light on the con-tribution from young consumers in retail channel strategy.

The contribution of this paper is to explore the combined perspective of configuration and integration of the channel-to-market as part of the retail channel strategy. The paper also provides evidence of child orientation in retail channel strategy when retailers selling prod-ucts for children are concerned.

This study aims to investigate the way in which small retailer performance is influenced by strategy at different levels. It also aims to propose that business level strategy is more important to success than functional level strategy in small retail firms, as this is what enables them to distinguish their business from competitors and effectively set about competing in their markets.

Data were collected from a mail survey of 305 independent retailers in the UK. Multivariate statistical methods were used to develop appropriate variables and explore the relationships between level of strategy and performance.

The results indicate that business level strategy variables have a significant influence on performance whereas functional levels do not when their combined effects are analysed using hierarchical regression modelling.

The caveats normally associated with survey methods apply, as do those related to the use of cross‐sectional, self‐report, and managerial perceptions data. Implications for retail strategy theory and small retailers' performance are addressed.

The importance of business level strategy generally and its specific elements are considered with a view to providing guidance to management decision makers and policy advisors.

Reliable measures for retail strategy variables are developed in the paper. The research distinguishes the performance effects of retail business strategy from retail functional strategy and supports the view that business strategy decisions are superior in their market significance over operational retail mix decisions.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the relationship between strategic remodelling of the retail store and the performance of companies in the retail sector.

The method used was a quantitative and descriptive survey of 93 cases from a sample of 329 retail stores from three chains that had remodelled some of their retail stores.

The results showed that strategic remodelling improved the performance of the stores surveyed, demonstrating the importance of retail store management as a strategic resource that can improve performance and competitiveness. Applying the balanced scorecard (BSC) perspectives, the retail store strategies had a greater influence on the dimension of internal processes than on other dimensions. Specifically, lighting is the redesign strategy that provides the best performance result.

The findings offer support to managers who are considering modifications to the retail store. Decisions about strategies related to external visual communication, internal layout, internal visual communication, fixtures, painting of the store, lighting, location of the store and visual merchandising can make a difference in the pursuit for better performance across a range of dimensions.

This paper contributes to both the retail strategy and marketing literature by evidencing the link between specific retail remodelling strategies and performance using the BSC dimensions.

According to the “classical” school of thought , the implementation of a firm’s strategy can be the result of a deliberate and rational process, or alternatively an emergent and non‐intentional one. The rising importance of logistics in retail strategy, and, in particular, the impact of centralisation of logistical activities upon the development of a retail logistics strategy, necessitates an in‐depth examination of the relevant company actions. This paper identifies which strategic approach is followed by domestic and multinational firms that operate in the Greek food multiple retail sector. The findings point out the major importance of warehousing in multinational firms’ logistics operations and the vital role of logistics in multinational retailers’ strategy. Multinational firms follow a deliberate logistics strategy that leads to increased logistics efficiency when compared to domestic firms that follow the emergent logistics strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to manage business relationships in retail operations. In particular, this study examines the links between business relationships with principal stakeholders, operations strategy, and performance.

Drawing upon the stakeholder theory, this study employs a path analytic framework to understand the effects of business relationships on retail operations strategy and performance for a sample of retail companies in China.

The findings indicate that good relationships with customer and supplier could enable retailers to be more efficient in developing quality and flexible strategies, and that low cost and flexible strategies, in turn, influence business performance. However, the results suggest that the vital role that the Chinese government played in economic activities in the 1980s and 1990s has diminished gradually. It is appropriate to treat the good relationship with government bodies as a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for retail success in China.

This study seems to be the first in investigating the effects of business relationships on operations strategy and performance applying a stakeholder theory perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between employee competencies, information technology (IT) applications, operations strategy, and business performance.

Drawing upon the resource‐based theory, this study employs a path analytic framework to investigate how employee competencies and IT applications influence the development of competitive operations strategies and business performance for a sample of retail firms in China.

The findings indicate significant and positive relationships between employee competencies and operations strategy (e.g. low cost, quality and flexibility). IT applications also play a vital role in helping retailers pursue a flexibility strategy. The operations strategies of low cost and flexibility in turn influence business performance.

This study seems to be the first in investigating the impacts of employee competencies and IT applications on operations strategy and performance in the service sector, especially in the Chinese context.